Rail Disruption Planned For Saturday

PUBLISHED

05:00 20th August 2014

Palace fans travelling to Saturday's game against West Ham United are being advised to check their travel plans due to major closures at Watford and London Bridge stations over the bank holiday weekend.

Over the weekend (23-25 August), thousands of Network Rail staff and contractors will be working round-the-clock to build new platforms, install new signalling systems, lay new track and improve stations, but this will add time to some football fans’ journeys to and from the capital.

Improvement work on the railway is often planned and agreed more than a year in advance, well before sporting fixtures are announced. Since this season’s matches were confirmed, Network Rail and train operators have worked closely with football clubs to make sure they know about the work and its impact on fans.

A Network Rail spokesperson said: “We’re investing tens of millions of pounds in August to build a bigger and better railway. Working over the quieter summer period means that disruption is kept to a minimum, but it will inevitably mean changes to journeys for some football fans.

“We know that many people rely on rail to follow their teams, which is why we have been working closely with football clubs across the country to make sure they’re aware of what we’re doing and can help advise fans of the best way to get to games.”

Fans travelling during August can find our if their journeys are affected by checking with their train operator or heading to www.nationalrail.co.uk/august.